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Adair, Bath, Bell, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clay, Clinton, Elliott, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe



What are some training opportunities?
Eligible individuals may apply for training assistance in areas that struggle to find qualified employees. The Center will focus on trainings that will meet the shortages in the local job market in our region.

Some examples of areas that suffer shortages are:

• Allied Health
• Commercial Truck Driving
• Certified fiber optic technicians and specialists
• Lineman
• Additive Manufacturing
• Front Desk/Help Desk customer service
• Equipment Operators

Jeremy A. Taylor wants you to be your best in the workplace and in life.

He is leading The Center for Rural Development''s "Becoming Your Best in the Workplace" online workforce training provided at no cost for unemployed and underemployed individuals in 14 Kentucky counties.

The training will be held on Sept. 17 and Oct. 20 from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. streamed live on Zoom.

Jeremy will be sharing valuable networking tools and essential work skills to help you succeed in the workforce. 

Training Topics

• Preparing for a job interview
• Being a team player and valuable employee
• Solving problems that arise on the job
• Improving professionalism in the workplace
• Putting all of these things together to be the best you can be in the workplace

The training is available at no cost for unemployed and underemployed individuals who live in the following counties: Bell, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, McCreary, Perry, Pulaski, and Whitley.
 

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Project Management Fundamentals 

Successfully managing a project requires effective planning and adherence to the industry's best practices in every step of the process.
 
By understanding the fundamentals of project management, you will be better prepared to initiate a project in your organization and position it for success.
 
The Center for Rural Development is providing instructor-led training in Project Management Fundamentals to help businesses and nonprofit organizations get started and successfully manage projects-from start to finish.

This training course is one of a series of workforce and essential skills training offerings available to individuals and employers/employees in Southern and Eastern Kentucky through The Center''s Business & Community Training Center.

• Get Going with Intuit QuickBooks: March 26
• Keep Going with Intuit QuickBooks: March 30
• Project Management Fundamentals: April 17
• Microsoft Office Excel: Part 1: April 28
• Get Going with Intuit QuickBooks: April 29  

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The Center for Rural Development is championing a program to promote the use and enable the expansion of telehealth in Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

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Give thanks to the Rogers Scholars program

As families prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, many high school students in Southern and Eastern Kentucky are thankful for The Center for Rural Development''s Rogers Scholars program and the opportunities it has afforded them to follow their dreams.

2014 Rogers Scholar and Morehead State University graduate Sarah Estep said the program opened doors that she could not have imagined for a small-town Kentucky girl.

She learned about Morehead State University''s Space Science program at a career fair for Rogers Scholars and was able to attend there because of exclusive college scholarship opportunities provided to Rogers Scholars graduates. 

Today, Sarah is well on her way to a promising career in NASA''s space exploration program. She is a systems safety engineer at Boeing in Huntsville, AL, working on safety for NASA''s Space Launch System.

You can help make a difference in the lives of young people by supporting Rogers Scholars on #GivingTuesday Dec. 1, 2020.

Each year, high school students from across 45 counties in Southern and Eastern Kentucky attend Rogers Scholars at no cost to their families. It is through your generosity and support that we are able to provide Sarah and others like her with the skills they need to become our region''s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.

Remember to give back to Rogers Scholars on #GivingTuesday! 

For more information, contact Allison Cross at across@centertech.com or call 606-677-6000.

• Microsoft Office Teams
  Aug. 13: 9:30 AM-11 AM
  Sept. 10: 1:30 PM-3 PM
  Cost: $49 
• Becoming Your Best in the Workplace
  Aug. 13: 1:30 PM-3:30 PM
  This training is provided at no cost to unemployed and underemployed individuals who reside in one of these Kentucky coal-impacted counties: Bell, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, McCreary, Perry, Pulaski and Whitley counties.
• Keep Going with Intuit QuickBooks
  Aug. 19: 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
  Cost: $149 
• Front Desk/Help Desk training 
  All classes: 10:30 AM-12 PM (Noon)
  Customer Service: Sept. 9 
  Professional Communications: Sept. 16
  Productivity & Time Management: Sept. 23
  Technology & Digital Information Literacy: Sept. 30
  Each of these training modules may be taken individually or all four combined to earn a Front Desk/Help Desk certificate.
  Cost: $29.99 for one course or $99 for all four courses
  Microsoft Office Excel: Part 1
  Sept. 15 & Sept. 17: 5 PM-8:30 PM
  (One class taught over a two-day session)
  Cost: $149 

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Are you looking for a job, interested in changing careers, or just want to be your best in the workplace?

The Center for Rural Development''s Business & Community Training Center is using the latest Zoom technology to provide workforce skills training at no cost for unemployed and underemployed individuals in 14 Kentucky coal-impacted counties.

If you live in Bell, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, McCreary, Perry, Pulaski, or Whitley County, our "Becoming Your Best in the Workplace" training workshops with motivational speaker and instructor Jeremy A. Taylor will help you learn valuable networking and essential work skills.

We will be offering two online training workshops on July 9 and Aug. 13 from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. for unemployed and underemployed individuals who live in these coal-impacted counties. The workshops will be streamed live on Zoom.

Some of the topics covered in the live, online workshops include:

• How to communicate effectively
• Being a good team player
• Solving problems that arise on the job
• Maintaining professionalism in the workplace 

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The Center for Rural Development announces
Front Desk/Help Desk training modules

Customer Service Module
The Customer Service training module will introduce students to aspects of customer service in front desk/help desk settings that can be utilized in any service industry. Topics covered include the importance of customer service, examples of both good and bad customer service, customer service environments, diversity in the workplace, and ADA compliancy.

Professional Communication Module
The Professional Communication training module will cover active listening; developing questioning skills; business writing; and phone; chat; and email etiquette.

Productivity and Time Management Module
The Productivity and Time Management training module will cover decision-making, problem-solving, project management, time management, goals, autonomous work, teamwork, workflow processes, office procedures, stress management, and coping skills.

Technology and Time Management Module
The Technology & Digital/Information Literacy training module will introduce basic computer hardware and software, the basics of living and working in online environments, and will provide students with a basic understanding of information literacy, copyright, and effective search strategies.

*Each module is available as a stand-alone training or can be taken together to earn the Front Desk/Help Desk certificate.

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Do you wish you could better connect with your customers online?

The success of businesses in rural communities is at the heart of our mission and we are here to help! The Center for Rural Development provides affordable website design, social media management, and marketing services. We can help you create an online infrastructure that will give your small business a crucial lifeline to stay connected with your customers. Contact Laura Glover today at lglover@centertech.com or call 606-677-6001.

Support Rogers Scholars on GivingTuesday

Today is GivingTuesday and your time to give back to The Center for Rural Development''s Rogers Scholars program. 

Every donation we receive today will go to support Rogers Scholars and the youth of Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Your generosity will allow us to give our 2021 Rogers Scholars 
"an experience of a lifetime."

• $25 donation will provide food for one Rogers Scholar for one day
• $100 donation will supply food and lodging for one Rogers Scholar for one day
• $500 donation will go toward food and lodging for one Rogers Scholar for one week
• $1,000 donation will provide tuition for one Rogers Scholar for one week

Are you working from home?

The recent surge in COVID-19 cases and new restrictions for as many people as possible to work from home have re-enforced the need for businesses to stay connected with their employees.

The Center for Rural Development''s Business & Community Training Center is making it easier for businesses and employees to receive Microsoft Teams training on your schedule and at your convenience.

We are now scheduling virtual training sessions to keep you up and running on Teams. You will learn how to use Teams to keep in touch with everyone while working remotely from the office.

To schedule a Teams training session, email training@centertech.com or call 606-677-6000.

We realize these are difficult and challenging times and we are taking additional steps to ensure the health and safety of everyone who rents space in our facility. 

We''ve added hand sanitizing stations, clearly marked entrances and exits to our building, and will reconfigure each space to fit your needs while allowing for social distancing.

With 35,000 square feet of functional event space, we have plenty of room to meet your rental space needs. 

We also have five modular ballrooms that can be customized for either individual break-out meeting rooms or one expanded 3,000-square-foot meeting space.

The Center for Rural Development is issuing a call for applications for 2021 Rogers Scholars program

All Harlan County residents, please take a moment to participate in this Broadband Internet Speed Test. This test should provide the most comprehensive, accurate collection of actual broadband speeds ever conducted in Harlan County!

Or visit https://centertech.com/technology/harlan-county-broadband-internet-speed-test

Many Harlan County citizens may have little to no access to reliable and affordable internet. Data is needed to document this lack of internet and the areas of need. This test will help provide an accurate assessment of the current quality of internet access and affordability in an effort to help all of Harlan County get reliable internet access. County residents, please take this one-minute speed test from your home computer. If you don't have home service you can use your cell phone.

During this unprecedented time, the need for reliable, affordable internet service in all parts of the community is more important than ever. The Center for Rural Development is working with GEO Partners LLC to address this need. We are calling on all community members, including those with students in grades K-12 and citizens working from home, to complete this one-minute speed test.

The test can be done from any device connected to your broadband internet signal in your home. Your participation is very important! Please complete the internet speed test by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, September 30th, 2020.

Make sure your device is connected to your broadband service and no one in your household is streaming video or gaming at the time you conduct the test. Please disconnect from a VPN if you use it to work from home. For those individuals without broadband internet access in your home, the only thing you will have to do is enter the address of the home with no available service.

Additional Information:
The Center for Rural Development, in partnership with the Geo Partners LLC, is pleased to announce a crowd-sourcing project covering all of Harlan County. This broadband speed testing initiative is being conducted by GEO Partners, LLC. This test should provide the most comprehensive, accurate collection of actual broadband speeds ever conducted in Harlan County.

The speed test will result in statistically valid data and mapping. The Center for Rural Development will use this information to explore options to support future broadband expansion projects. With this information, the community will have the potential to seek grant funding. Our goal is to conduct at least 2,600 speed tests from locations all over Harlan County.

The Center for Rural Development recognizes that high-speed quality broadband is a critical utility to economic development, education, business, and virtual healthcare. The Center is grateful for the partnership with GEO Partners on this project. For more information contact The Center's Broadband Technology Liaison, Scott Surber by email or phone at: ssurber@centertech.com or 606-677-6000.

Or visit https://centertech.com/technology/harlan-county-broadband-internet-speed-test